A New Understanding: What Makes People Trust and Rely on News

Transcription

1 A New Understanding: What Makes People Trust and Rely on News Conducted by the Media Insight Project An initiative of the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research Interviews: 2,014 adults Margin of error: +/- 2.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level among all adults NOTE: All results show percentages among all respondents, unless otherwise labeled.

2 Q1. Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted or that you can't be too careful in dealing with people? Most people can be trusted 41 Can t be too careful in dealing with people 58 DON T KNOW * Q2. I am going to name some institutions in this country. As far as the people running these institutions are concerned, would you say you have a great deal of confidence, only some confidence, or hardly any confidence at all in them? [ITEMS RANDOMIZED] deal of confidence Hardly any confidence at all Only some confidence Military Scientific community Supreme Court Organized religion Banks and financial DK/ * institutions The press * Congress * N=2,014 Q3. We would now like to ask you about how you use technology. Do you use the Internet or for any purpose, or not? Yes 90 No 10 2

3 Q4. Next, do you own a cellphone, or not? Yes 95 No 5 If yes in Q4 Q5. Do you own a cellphone that connects to the Internet, or does your phone only receive calls and text messages? Cellphone connects to the internet 81 Cellphone only receives calls and text messages 19 DON T KNOW * N= 1,906 Q6. Do you own or use a tablet, such as an ipad or GalaxyTab, or not? Yes 55 No 44 Q7. Do you ever get news alerts sent to you by text, , or app notifications, or not? Yes 55 No 45 3

4 Q8. We re interested in your sources of news and information. By source, we mean the organization which gathered the information and did the news reporting, such as national or local TV news programs, newspapers, radio shows or websites. You may trust some sources of news more than others. Thinking about the sources you consider trustworthy, how important is each of the following factors? [ITEMS RANDOMIZED] Accuracy: It gets the facts right Completeness: It provides all the important news and information Transparency: It explains the way it gathers and reports news and information Balanced and Fair: I get a lot of different views from the reporting Presentation: Its broadcast, print publication, website or app have a high quality and professional appearance N=2,014 Extremely/ Extremely Somewhat Not very/not at all Not very all * * * * * DK/ 4

5 Q9. How often do you watch, read, or hear news? Again, by news, we mean any kind of news, including sports, traffic, weather, stocks, politics, lifestyle, or any other kind of news, by any means. Do you generally watch, read, or hear news? Several times a day 59 Once a day 20 Several times a week 10 Weekly 5 Less often 4 Never 1 Q10. How important is it to you personally to keep up with news and information? Extremely/ important 60 Extremely important 18 important 42 Somewhat important 32 Not very/ all important 8 Not very important 5 all important 3 Q11. Choose the statement that best describes you, even if it is not exactly right. In general, I actively seek out news and information 65 I mostly bump into news and information as I do other things or hear about it from others 34 DON T KNOW * 5

6 Q12. Here are some different devices or technology that you might or might not use to get news and information. Did you use each device or technology to get news and information in the last week, or did you not? How about..? Yes No DK/ A television (N=2,014) * If yes to Q6 A tablet, such as an ipad or GalaxyTab (N=1,114) If yes to Q3 A desktop or laptop computer (N=1,803) * A radio (N=2,014) Paper versions of print publications such as newspapers or magazines (N=2,014) If yes to Q5 A cellphone (N=1,519) * An E-reader, such as a Kindle or Sony Reader (N=2,014) Q13. Do you currently use a PAID service or subscription that includes access to? Yes No DK/ A newspaper ONLY in print * A newspaper ONLY online or through its app * A newspaper BOTH in print and online or through its app * A cable television subscription A magazine ONLY in print * A magazine ONLY online or through its app 6 94 * A magazine BOTH in print and online or through its app * Another type of PAID service or subscription N=2,014 6

7 Q14. Here are some common news and information topics. Which of these news topics do you follow most often or closely? Please select two from the list below. National politics or government 22 Traffic and weather 12 Crime and public safety 8 Sports 7 Local politics or government 7 Science and technology 6 Healthcare and medical information 6 My particular town or neighborhood 5 Social issues like abortion, race, and gay rights 4 Foreign or international news 4 Business and the economy 4 The environment and natural disasters 3 Schools and education 3 My hobbies 3 Lifestyle topics such as food, beauty, exercise, or parenting 3 Entertainment and celebrities 3 Art and culture 1 DON T KNOW * SKIPPED ON WEB/USED - N= 3,313 7

8 Q15. Where do you most often get your news on [TOPIC IDENTIFIED IN Q14]? Please select up to three from the list below. A local TV station, its website, app, or news alerts 53 A national TV network, its website, app, or news alerts 40 A radio station, local or national, its web, app, or news alerts 30 Social media 29 A local newspaper, its website, app, or news alerts 23 Search engine or online aggregators such as Google News 16 A media organization that focuses on one topic (such as the Weather Channel, ESPN, the Food Network, or TMZ), its website, app, or news alerts 15 From a general-interest online-only publisher such as Buzzfeed, Yahoo! News, or Huffington Post, its app, or news alerts 11 A magazine, its website, app, or news alerts 10 A national or international newspaper, its website, app, or news alerts 9 From a blog 2 DON T KNOW * N= 3,937 8

9 Q17. Next we have several questions about [SOURCE IDENTIFIED IN Q16], the source you use most often for [TOPIC IDENTIFIED IN Q14]. How often would you say you get news and information on [TOPIC IDENTIFIED IN Q14] from [SOURCE IDENTIFIED IN Q16]? Several times/once a day 67 Several times a day 37 Once a day 30 Several times a week 17 Weekly/Less often 17 Weekly 10 Less often 7 N= 3,711 Q18. Choose the statement that best describes you, even if it is not exactly right. Generally, when I get news and information about [TOPIC IDENTIFIED IN Q14] from [SOURCE IDENTIFIED IN Q16]: I actively seek out news and information 69 I mostly bump into news and information as I do other things or hear about it from others 30 N= 3,711 Q19. In which of the following ways do you interact with [SOURCE IDENTIFIED IN Q16], do you? Yes No N/A DK/ Use its app Subscribe to its newsletter, text, or alerts Follow it on social media Regularly share its content with others Pay for it N=3,711 9

10 Q20. Think about why you rely on [SOURCE IDENTIFIED IN Q16] for the coverage of [TOPIC IDENTIFIED IN Q14]. How important is each of the following for you? [ITEMS RANDOMIZED] Not Extremely/ very/not Extremely Somewhat at all Not very all DK/ It gets the facts right It always has the latest news and information It s concise and gets to the point It presents expert sources and data * It is easy to find news and information you re looking for The reporting is indepth * It presents news and information in a way you can talk about it It covers all the day s events You know and trust its journalists It provides diverse points of view It explains the way it gathers and reports * news and information It s a source you ve always used You can multitask or use it when you re doing something else like household chores It makes it entertaining You see your community and people like you in the reporting 10

11 It shares your point of view N=3, Q21. Do you ever get news and information on [Q14] from [Q16] in a digital format, such as a website, app, or ? Yes 46 No 54 N= 3,711 If yes in Q21 Q22. Thinking about when you get news from [SOURCE IDENTIFIED IN Q16] on [TOPIC IDENTIFIED IN Q14] in a digital format, how important is each of the following for you? [ITEMS RANDOMIZED] The ads do not interfere without getting news and information The site or app loads fast It works well on my mobile phone It uses visuals such as photos, videos, lists, or charts The news and information include hyperlinks to get more information It allows people to comment on news and information N=1,704 Extremely/ Extremely Somewhat Not very/not at all Not very all DK/ 11

12 Q23. These days many people get their news and information from social media. Do you ever get any news from social media? Yes 51 No 48 If no in Q23, skip to Q27 Q24. Which of the following do you use most frequently to get news and information? Please select up to two from the list below. Facebook 87 Youtube 21 Twitter 18 Instagram 13 LinkedIn 5 Reddit 3 Snapchat 3 Vine * Yik Yak * SKIPPED ON WEB/USED 3 N= 1,022 Q25. In general, how much do you trust the news and information you see on [SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM IDENTIFIED IN Q24]? deal/a lot little/not at all deal A lot Somewhat little all LinkedIn (N=52) Reddit (N=39) Twitter (N=179) * 22 Instagram (N=109) Youtube (N=226) * 18 Snapchat (N=25) Facebook (N=895)

13 Q26a. How much do the following factors affect your trust in a piece of news and information you see on [SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM IDENTIFIED IN Q24]? FACEBOOK [ITEMS RANDOMIZED] deal/a lot deal A lot Somewhat little/not at all little all Whether or not a lot of people have liked, shared, or commented on it * person who posted original reporting source N=895 YOUTUBE deal/a lot deal A lot Somewhat little/not at all little all Whether or not a lot of people have liked, viewed, or commented on it * person who posted it original reporting source N=226 13

14 TWITTER deal/a lot deal A lot Somewhat little/not at all little all Whether or not a lot of people I know have liked, retweeted, or commented on it * person who tweeted it * original reporting source * N=179 INSTAGRAM deal/a lot deal A lot Somewhat little/not at all little all Whether or not a lot of people have liked, re-posted, or commented on it person who posted it original reporting source N=109 14

15 LINKEDIN deal/a lot deal A lot Somewhat little/not at all little all Whether or not a lot of people have liked or commented on it person who posted it original reporting source N=52 REDDIT deal/a lot deal A lot Somewhat little/not at all little all Whether or not a lot of people have upvoted or commented on it person who posted it original reporting source N=39 15

16 SNAPCHAT deal/a lot deal A lot Somewhat little/not at all little all person who shared it original reporting source N=25 Q27. Now a question on a different topic. Have you ever had an experience with a news and information source that made you trust it less for any reason, or hasn t that happened? Yes 38 No 61 DON T KNOW * SKIPPED ON WEB/USED 1 If no in Q27, skip to end Q29. What happened that made you trust that news and information source less? Please select all that apply. [ITEMS RANDOMIZED] I found it one-sided or biased 69 I found facts that were wrong 65 I found something about the content personally offensive 24 I found the advertisements annoying or deceptive 14 Other 11 I could not easily access stories 8 I started receiving s, texts, or alerts I did not want 6 N=

17 GENDER Male 48 Female 52 EDUCATION AGE INCOME No high school diploma 12 High school graduate or equivalent 30 Some college 26 Bachelor s degree or above and older 19 Under $10,000 8 $10,000 to under $20, $20,000 to under $30, $30,000 to under $40,000 9 $40,000 to under $50, $50,000 to under $75, $75,000 to under $100, $100,000 to under $150, $150,000 or more 8 17

18 RACE/ETHNICITY PARTY IDENTIFICATION White 65 African American 12 Hispanic 16 Other 8 Democrat 45 Republican 36 Independent 16 SKIPPED ON WEB/USED 3 18

19 Media Insight Project Poll A New Understanding: What Makes People Trust and Rely on News: Methodology This survey was conducted by the Media Insight Project, an initiative of the American Press Institute (API) and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey was conducted from February 18 through March 6, The survey was funded by API. Staff from API, NORC at the University of Chicago, and AP collaborated on all aspects of the study. The Media Insight Project also received input on the study design and suggestions for the survey from industry experts in both academia and the media during a day-long meeting in Washington D.C. on January 21, Data were collected using the AmeriSpeak Panel, which is NORC s probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. household population. During the initial recruitment phase of the panel, randomly selected U.S. households were sampled with a known, nonzero probability of selection from the NORC National Sample Frame and then contacted by U.S. mail, , telephone, and field interviewers (face-to-face). Interviews for this survey were conducted, with adults age 18 and over representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Panel members were randomly drawn from the AmeriSpeak Panel, and 2,014 completed the survey 1,603 via the web and 411 via telephone. The final stage completion rate is 40.3 percent, the weighted household panel response rate is 36.9 percent, and the weighted household panel retention rate is 94.7 percent, for a cumulative response rate of 14.1 percent. The overall margin of sampling error is +/- 2.9 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level, including the design effect. The margin of sampling error may be higher for subgroups. Respondents were offered a small monetary incentive for completing the survey ($2 or $4 depending on their initial panel recruitment). All interviews were conducted in English by professional interviewers who were carefully trained on the specific survey for this study. Once the sample was selected and fielded, and all the study data had been collected and made final, a poststratification process was used to adjust for any survey nonresponse as well as any noncoverage or under-and over- sampling resulting from the study-specific sample design. Poststratification variables included age, gender, Census division, race/ethnicity, and household phone status. The weighted data, which reflect the U.S. population of adults age 18 and over, were used for all analyses. Details about the Media Insight Project can be found at: 19